I wish more people did the shoulder check as well as looking in the mirrors. Would save a lot of road rage from people getting cut up.
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I don’t think the cyclist would be weaving in and out of traffic unless, as is usually the case, south circular traffic is at a standstill at that time.
I’m all for lights though, especially now it’s darker, it’s good to have one on your helmet and a bright one on your seat post.
I hope police do more to stop and advise all vehicles that a full set of working lights are useful, if not legally required (though I believe they now are?)
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I haven’t seen any research on this but I would not assume the more lights & hi-viz the better. There is sensory overload which is not what you want when keeping track of multiple objects.
Personally I find plain reflectors on shoes or pedals are great on badly lit roads. The motion from a distance when you can’t properly see the object instantly identifies as a cyclist and the rate an indicator of speed - which may indicate you will need to brake/manoeuvre more quickly than if it were a delivery scooter. Other stuff apart from the mandatory rear light may distract.
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I seem to be recall hearing that if you can rig both a flashing and a a solid light, it helps observers with both initial view and then getting a better sense of distance. I used to keep the solid one on my bike and put a smaller flashing one on my helmet or attached to the back of my jacket.
I did invest in an entirely reflective jacket at one point which was insanely bright but felt a bit ‘boil in the bag’ so it was rarely the preferred option.
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Bizarre that this has turned into a car vs bike/pedestrian issue yet again.
As with most issues this boils down to an individuals behaviour, there are bad drivers and bad cyclists. I ride a bike and drive a car, I’m sure I’ve been a pratt using both but when using either I try to minimise the risk to myself and others. Given that if I am involved in any sort of accident while using my bike I’m at a higher risk of serious injury, I do all I can to keep myself safe.
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Once I was in a bus stationary at a bus stop when the driver announced that there would be a delay as someone had just run into the back of the bus!
They are big and red and with lots of lights inside and outside!
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A bus crashed into the back of it. An ambulance was also damaged in the crash but thankfully only two people sustained minor injuries.
No, unless it was a self driving bus then it was the bus driver who crashed the bus into the police car despite it being fully kitted out in hi-viz and having lights on. Drivers are responsible for crashing into other vehicles. Cyclists do not get hit by cars they get hit by drivers. As was noted above there are crappy drivers and cyclists all around, wearing hi-viz is not a foolproof solution. You can cause a lot more damage with a car than a bicycle so be extra vigilant around vulnerable road users and pedestrians please.
More motorists suffer head injuries than cyclists, should we all wear helmets when we drive?
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Yes, and also when we enter into yet another “friendly debate” between car drivers and cyclists on the internet again 
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Ok let’s not debate anything. Happy to leave it at ‘a cyclist overtook me while I was stuck in traffic and I saw him wearing dark clothing so I went on the internet to complain about it’. 
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For the record, it wasn’t a complaint - it was a plea for awareness. Hence the title.
I’m also a Mum and dread the parents or spouse/partner of those cyclists or e-scooter riders getting that knock on the door to tell them there has been an accident.
If wearing a fluorescent sash stops that happening, then I think it’s worth a post.
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There is nothing wrong with your post. At night, cyclists should have lights / reflective gear - cyclists in dark clothing with no lights and / or reflective gear are harder to spot which nobody wants.
I couldn’t agree more.
I think @RedChilli 's point is that for drivers who are looking where they are going, a better illuminated cyclist will be more visible, earlier, which should mean more reaction time for a driver.
So are you suggesting cylists shouldn’t have lights and reflective gear? We all know drivers who don’t look where they are going / are distracted by phones etc can crash, but that’s not relevant to this topic.
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It’s getting a bit tiresome now, I wish there was a moratorium on this subject. All sides seem to be triggered as if the OP was referring directly to them.
Before the cyclists come for me, I was knocked off my bike in broad daylight while in a cycle lane and while having the right of way. When challenged by other drivers who stopped to help me, he said he didn’t see me. I was a very careful cyclist; wore all my safety gear (including a reflective vest at night) and had lights on the front and back of my bike. Even now when I’m out running at night, my running top has reflective stripes on it. Given my experience, I am a very strong advocate for cyclist safety.
Not all cyclists take care to make themselves seen on the roads and behave responsibly. We can’t rely on drivers to have complete awareness of what is on the road with them. As cyclists it’s our responsibility to make ourselves seen. Drivers have to abide by safety rules so why shouldn’t cyclists? If you’re riding on the road, or indeed the footpath, dressed in all in black with a tiny light then you’re partially to blame for any incidents that happen. The OP noticed this particular cyclist and was concerned for their safety but what if the other drivers didn’t notice them and the traffic started moving again?
Equally there are bad drivers out there who think they own the roads or are easily distracted, running into the back of stationary cars waiting at traffic lights. Or can’t even see a cyclist in broad daylight.
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I guess in your world you call plane crashes pilot crashes as well.
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Can we please avoid divisive language like ‘in your world’ and stick to responding to the points made.
In terms of press guidelines, it is recommended that human actors are described… New guidelines for UK journalists on reporting road collisions suggest banning use of the word 'accident' - Press Gazette
They also want journalists to avoid mention of helmets, high-vis or any other protective equipment “except when demonstrably relevant” and call for human actors to always be mentioned in coverage of collisions – for example by saying a driver, not a car, hit a cyclist.
Would you fly less if the headlines said ‘pilot crash’ instead of plane crash?
Note that there is no requirement for cyclists to wear helmets or hi viz either in response to some of the other comments. Cars also have lights but no hi-viz and even when they do, it doesn’t prevent people driving into them, so why should cyclists be an exception. A helmet will help if you fall off your bike but not much if you get hit by a 2 tonne steel object moving at speed.
Note also the government is introducing changes to the highway code to prioritise pedestrians then cyclists then the drivers of 2 tonne steel objects New Highway Code gives priority to cyclists and pedestrians | Autocar
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The original post in this topic was fair, moderate and well liked. There’s been some good points made, but as others have pointed out, it’s getting a bit tiresome and off-topic now, so let’s move on and do something more productive with our Sunday. Thanks.
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